Snowdonia’s best winter wonderland walks

Posted December 5, 2018byTori Smith

You don’t have to be an Edmund Hillary to enjoy fabulous winter walks in Snowdonia. Cut through with valleys and dotted with glacial lakes, there are plenty of opportunities for lower-level walks that don’t involve icy scrambles and snow-bound trudges. Even so, you still get to enjoy spellbinding mountain scenery, often all the more stark and beautiful in the low light of winter.

Read on to learn more about our top five Snowdonia winter rambles…

1. Lon Las Ogwen through Nant Ffrancon

Our first walk is one of two linear walks that follow the lines of old railways. The great thing about walking disused railways is that you’re guaranteed gradual gradients – though Lon Las Ogwen detours at Penrhyn Quarry with a little up-and-down. It’s worth noting, though, that if you walk from Porth Penrhyn in Bangor (the trail start/end) as far as Ogwen Cottage (11 miles), you’ll have climbed 1,000ft.

But what an 11 miles! Mostly off-road, this trail has recently been upgraded (to form part of National Cycle Route 82) and now includes a lit 280-yard tunnel between Tregarth and Bethesda. It crosses and follows rivers before joining a minor road opposite the A5 through Nant Ffrancon’s stunning alpine valley.

If 11 miles is a bit of a stretch (buses from Bangor only go as far as Bethesda and there’s no Sherpa service in winter), your best bet for scenery is to park in Tregarth and walk through the tunnel, past Penrhyn and into Nant Ffrancon. Before you reach the valley take a short detour to the picnic site at Zip World in Penrhyn Quarry to see the fabulous slate statue created by local artist Peter Barnes.

The Ogwen Trail website has plenty on information about the route, things to see and places to stop and eat along the way.

2. Lon Gwyrfai from Rhyd Ddu to Beddgelert

Lon Gwyrfai is a route between Caernarfon and Beddgelert still in development. There is already an established section from Caernarfon as far Waunfawr village near the National Park border. But the best mountain scenery is to be had from the tiny village of Rhyd Ddu, around Llyn-y-Gadair lake and through Beddgelert Forest to the village of the same name. Snowdon’s peaks rise to the east, including a clear view of the summit (assuming the weather is clear!), while the Nantlle Ridge strides proudly away to the west, with Moel Hebog to the south.

The initial section from Rhyd Ddu (starting opposite the main Pay & Display car park) as far as the lake is relatively wide and flat, suitable for prams and some wheelchairs. There are some steep sections thereafter, but the walk through the forest, over the railway line and an old bridge, is an absolute delight.

This is another linear walk, but it’s possible to use the Beddgelert-Caernarfon bus service to make it into a loop. Even more fun is to use the Welsh Highland Railway, though it’s worth noting that no trains run in January and there is a limited service through other winter months. You can check the bus timetable here and the rail timetable here.

3. Llyn Padarn Circular

This lovely walk can be done right from Royal Victoria Hotel’s front door! At just under six miles, with just one section that rises modestly into oak woods before descending to lake level again, it’s a relatively easy afternoon walk you can do in a few hours. You’ll want to take your time, though, to take in the wonderful views of Llanberis Pass and Snowdon across the lake’s placid waters.

This walk crams in natural and man-made history, with a forest walk, industrial archaeology and even an old quarry hospital. Start anywhere along the lakeshore fronting Llanberis village (there’s plenty of parking here) and follow the white marker posts, either clockwise or anti-clockwise. The latter will mean you tackle the 200m climb through the woods early, leaving the rest of the walk as a leisurely, virtually flat stroll. The Mud and Routes website describes it very well, following an anti-clockwise direction.

4. Beddgelert River Walk (Afon Glaslyn)

The Afon (River) Glaslyn begins its journey high on Snowdon’s upper slopes, from a lake bearing the same name. On its short but spectacular journey to the sea at Porthmadog it passes through Llyn Dinas lake, the village of Beddgelert, through the beautiful Aberglaslyn Gorge and across a fertile plain to the coast.

This short walk, starting and ending in the village, follows a wide, flat and surfaced path along both sides of the river, past Bedd-y-Ci (the grave of Gelert, Prince Llywelyn’s faithful hound), and shares a river crossing with the Welsh Highland Railway. At less than a mile long, it’s suitable for wheelchairs, prams or toddlers, yet still packs in plenty of Snowdonia scenery.

For the more adventurous, you can extend the walk by following the Fisherman’s Path which takes you through Aberglaslyn Gorge (with steps, rocks and boardwalks) to the tiny hamlet of Nantmor. From a small car park there, follow a path north into Cwm Bychan and along a low valley marked with disused copper mine machinery. The path then descends steeply to the shores of Llyn Dinas, so care should be taken here, especially if it’s icy underfoot. Equally, although the path from the lake back to Beddgelert is well constructed, it suffers from water-logging in winter. This is a walk for waterproof, winter (four-season) boots!

5. Aber Falls

Wales’s highest waterfalls are at their most spectacular in winter. The northerly aspect of the narrow valley that the falls tumble into also means you’re likely to encounter icy conditions, leading to amazing ‘icicle falls’ in the coldest weather (though we’ve never known the falls to freeze-over completely!). To get there, drive through the village and park in the car park, then follow the easy path up to the falls. It’s not far, and any ascents are short-lived.

Unless you’re properly equipped for winter walking we would advise against taking the higher path that leads to the top of the falls – it’s steep, and as we’ve already said, the valley is liable to ice over in the winter months. There is also a circular walk that takes a higher line back to the village, but this can be very wet in winter, with streams to cross that may be in spate, and a steep descent to the village that would be tricky in icy conditions. In many ways, the best views are enjoyed from the main path in any case.

We hope you get the opportunity to try at least one of these walks in Snowdonia on a lovely winter’s day. There’s nothing better! Do you have a favourite winter walk in our mountains? Share it with us and our readers.